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November 1st, 2009UncategorizedNew York City's Times Square is a misnomer. It never has been a square, in either form or function. It's a traffic intersection with some cheap lawn chairs. As for Siena's Piazza del Campo . . . now that's a public square worth wasting a day in. -
October 31st, 2009Uncategorized
The Visioniare condominium complex in Manhattan's Battery Park City has received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), marking it the only LEED Platinum condominium on the east coast. The complex offers energy savings of more than 40 percent and has a high-efficiency air filtration system that conditions, filters and supplies fresh air to each home. A water treatment system recycles water and provides make-up water for the HVAC system cooling tower. The 35-story curved-glass tower has 247 units with a rooftop garden, solar panels and a central heating and cooling system powered by natural gas. Units cost from $825,000 to $2,950,000.
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October 30th, 2009Uncategorized
- Gyms: City Fitness, Washington Sports Clubs, and Vida Fitness all have young clientele and unique and interesting class offerings such as Zumba!, Budokon, and Bhangra as well as a menu of traditional classes such as spin, step, pilates and yoga.
- Yoga: DC’s Yoga community is young and vibrant, with studios and classes to match every personality type and skill level. Fun red line options include: YogaChai in Adams Morgan, Yoga District in Dupont Circle, Evolve in Dupont Circle (brand new!), and Shakti in China Town.
- Dance: Dance classes can be a fun and social way to get a great work out. DC Dance Collective is located in Tenleytown, and Joy of Motion has 3 studios on the red line. Both studios offer classes in a ton of different styles (too many to list!) and are very beginner- friendly. All classes are pretty much “drop in,” so no long term committment is necessary– in fact, you could just try a different style of dance every week!
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August 1st, 2009UncategorizedRock Hall, a four-room B&B in Colebrook, CT, is now open for its first summer season, and it's a great New England getaway for fans of Florida, architecture, or just an unusual story.
Rock Hall was built in 1912 by Addison Mizner, the architect whose Mediterranean Revival style was behind the development of Boca Raton as a resort community. Mizner built this 10,000 square foot home some six years before he went to Florida -- where he'd eventually go bankrupt and die.
But before all that, in Connecticut's Litchfield Hills, Mizner received this commission for Jerome Alexandre, a bond trader. Alexandre was heir to the Alexandre Steam Ship Lines fortune, a company which once sailed between New York and Mexico -- perhaps explaining Alexandre's taste for Spanish-style architecture?
Anyway, fast forward to present times, Rock Hall was bought as a country home by another bond trader, Michael Somers, managing director of Dillon Read and Company (most recently a part of UBS) and his wife Stella, a designer. Let's just say that investment banking isn't what it once was, and so late last winter, Michael became an innkeeper. The Somers transformed their country manor into a B&B and have repaired to an apartment on the top floor of the home. (Their former master suite, now Chamber #2, would be the room to reserve.) Stella is a delightful hostess, and Michael has channeled his energies into his long-time hobby, cooking -- he makes a mean house-cured gravlax. -
July 31st, 2009Uncategorized
A Scottish hotel has created a coffee blended to pair with a whisky. The Cuillin Hills blend was created by the Cuillin Hills hotel on Skye to match whisky from the island's Talisker distillery. The blend was created by Edinburgh Tea and Coffee Company to the specification of Peter Sim, the hotel's general manager and is a mixture of Indonesian and South American beans. The Talisker 18-year-old was used as the pairing companion but the coffee will work with any whisky. The blend has notes of dark chocolate, caramel and toffee with hints of liquorice and cinnamon. Sims says the coffee was developed to "complement and showcase malt whisky as the ideal after dinner drink."
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July 30th, 2009Uncategorized
Once the home of a Chicago Cubs owner, this green-roofed, hilltop Georgian colonial has breathtaking views of Avalon harbor. The inn was selected by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler as one of the best places to stay in the world.
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July 29th, 2009Uncategorized
Kate Moss doesn’t give much thought to how she looks, she has said.
The supermodel said she just pulls clothes out of her wardrobe and hopes for the best.
“My looks just happen. I put things together from my wardrobe and see what works and feels right,” she said.
The catwalk beauty, 35, revealed that her globetrotting lifestyle help to inspire her latest collection for fashion giant, Topshop.
She told a US newspaper: “My constant travelling to hot places and long summer holidays with family and friends [inspire me]. The right holiday wardrobe is essential.”
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July 28th, 2009UncategorizedDeal of the Day Good news for Ritz-Carlton fans: This summer you can stay for three nights, pay for two; stay for five, pay for three; or stay for a week, pay for four. This last scores the biggest discount, at 43% off.
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July 27th, 2009Uncategorized"Are there any restaurants around the hotel?"
"Yes, sir; we are located on the corner of ____ and ____ so we are in the heart of Manhattan."
"Are any restaurants there?"
"Absolutely, sir. Are you looking for a spercific cuisine?"
"No, we'll eat anything."
"How would you like to dress? Do you want to wear a jacket or would you rather something casual?
"It doesn't matter."
"Did you have a time in mind."
"We'll eat any time."
"There's a wonderful Japanese restaurant called Geisha that ---"
"No, we don't like any of that crazy stuff."
"An excellent choice might be the Mediterranean menu at Amaranth where ---"
"Mediterwhat? Is that one of those European places? No we don't want any of that fancy stuff. Don't you have a real restaurant nearby? Like French?"
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July 26th, 2009Uncategorized
Add another to our list of slow-selling celebrities (sports stars edition). Dan Marino has had his Weston, Florida compound on the market for around three years. It was once listed at $15.9 million but now, as the Wall Street Journal's Private Properties reports, the famous quarterback will throw in $1.5 million worth of designer furniture and a signed football, too. Marino and his wife Claire are now asking $13.5 million for the 15,000-square-foot Tuscan home. The couple is looking to downsize but it has been slow going.
The Mediterranean-style villa is on a four-acre spot in the Windmill Ranch Estates community. It is surrounded by a lake with fresh bass. The home's large pool area connects the main house with other areas. The property has two guest houses, staff quarters, an exercise room and a wine cellar. There are ten bedrooms total. Even with the over $2 million discount it may take Marino a while longer to sell this home.
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